Apparatus for sealing a loop of ribbon



May 8, 1962 c. BLOCK ETAL APPARATUS FOR SEALING A LOOP OF RIBBON 3 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Sept. 22, 1959 INVENTORS BLOCK LEON I M/A/TZ CHARLES ATTORNEYS May 8, 1962 c. BLOCK ETAL APPARATUS FOR SEALING A LOOP OF RIBBON 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 22, 1959 INVENTORS BLacK CHAZLES ATTORNEYS y 8, 1962 c. BLOCK ETAL 3,033,728

APPARATUS FOR SEALING A LOOP OF RIBBON Filed Sept. 22, 1959 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 56 I a- M INVENTORS Omen E6 50CK 4am I M/A/TZ BY Gym M ATTORNEYS 3,033,728 APPARATUS FOR SEALING A LOOP F RIBBON Charles Block, North Bellrnore, and Leon .l. Mintz, Brooklyn, N.Y., assignors to Lehigh Industries, Inc, New York, N.Y., a corporation of New York Filed Sept. 22, 1959, Ser. No. 841,480 14 Claims. (Cl. 15670) This invention relates to the sealing of a loop of ribbon, particularly ribbon which is made of a plastics thread such as nylon.

There are many places, most commonly in garment manufacture, in which a flexible ribbon must be secured to a rigid part. The part may be flattened ring, or it may be such a ring with a cross bar, which then acts as a frictional buckle or length adjusting means. For convenience of reference these devices to which the ribbon is to be secured are hereinafter generically referred to' as a buckle.

Heretofore the ribbon has been looped around a part of the buckle and then sewn. This operation is slow and tedious, even when using a sewing machine for the actual stitching. The stitching procedure has been retained even with the wide acceptance today of ribbons made of a plastics material such as nylon, acetate, rayon, Dacron, and Orlon.

The primary object of the present invention is to simplify and expedite the formation of a sealed loop of ribbon around a part of a buckle. This is done by surface adherence, and more specifically by fusion. However, if the sides of the loop are fused together by the applica tion of heat and pressure from the outer sides, the resulting seal, while effective, is not satisfactory for garment purposes, first because the sealed part of the ribbon becomes stilf, and second because it loses its fabric texture. For convenience this texture is hereinafter referred to as a woven texture, but that term is not intended to exclude a knit texture, either one of which has a surface made up of threads, in contradistinction to the smooth surface which results from the application of an external heating element. The buckle elements and ribbon here referred to are used widely in lingerie, in which flexibility and attractive appearance are important.

Accordingly, a further object of the present invention is to retain the advantages of heat sealing, compared to sewing, but without losing the woven texture and flexibility of the ribbon at the loop.

Still another object of the invention is to provide an automatic machine for producing the desired result at high speed.

To accomplish the foregoing general objects, and other more specific objects which will hereafter appear, our invention resides in the apparatus elements and their relation one to another, as are hereinafter more particularly described in the following specification. The specification is accompanied by drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view showing an automatic machine for rapidly looping and sealing a length of ribbon to a buckle;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view explanatory of the heatin and squeezing bars;

FIGS. 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 are fragmentary schematic views showing successive steps in the operation of the machine shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 8 is a view similar to FIG. 3, but showing a modification;

FIG. 9 is a view similar to FIG. 3 but showing the application of the invention to a three-bar instead of a two-bar buckle;

FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing the looped end of a ribbon secured to a two-bar buckle; and

FIG. 11 is a similar view showing the looped end of a ribbon secured to a three-bar buckle.

Referring to the drawing, and more particularly to FIG. 10, the buckle in this case is a flattened ring 12, which may be stamped out of sheet metal or molded out of a rigid plastics material. It is essentially rectangular with rounded ends. A ribbon 1.4 has one end 16 threaded through the buckle and folded reversely to form a loop, the sides 16 and 18 of which are sealed together without stitching. There is a surface adherence of the inner faces of the sides 16 and 18 of the loop, and this is produced by heating and fusing the surfaces together. The ribbon is woven (or knit) of a plastics thread, such as nylon, acetate, rayon, Dacron, or Orlon.

In FIG. 11 the sole difference is that the buckle 20 is a three-bar buckle, which may be described as a flattened ring with a center bar. The ribbon 22' is threaded through the buckle and reversely folded to form a loop about the center bar. It will be understood that later on, in the garment, the end of another similar piece of ribbon may be threaded beneath one bar, over the center bar, and then beneath the third bar, to provide a frictional hold for length adjustment.

Referring now to FIGS. 3-7 of the drawing, the apparatus has a support 24 for a two-bar buckle 26, which is shown in transverse section. The ribbon is indicated at 28 and is fed downwardly from above. The apparatus comprises means 3% and 32 for threading and thereby looping the end 34 of the ribbon around a part of the buckle to form a reversely folded loop. Specifically, the part 34) is an air nozzle which blows the end 34 sideward to a position beneath the buckle 26, and the part 32 is an upwardly movable threading bar or tongue above which the ribbon is blown by nozzle 3%, so that when the bar 32 rises, as shown by the change from FIG. 3 to FIG. 4,

the end 34 of the ribbon is carried through the buckle 26, and is reversely folded as shown in FIG. 4.

A heating element 36 is disposed alongside the ribbon 28, as shown in FIG. 3, and is located between the sides 28 and 34 of the loop when the loop is formed, as shown in FIG. 4.

The apparatus further comprises a means 40 to squeeze the sides of the loop toward one another against the heating element, as shown in FIG. 5. It further comprises means to move the element 36 upwardly or 1011- gitudinally of the ribbon, as shown by the changes from FIG. 5 to FIG. 6 to FIG. 7. The rapidity of movement of the heating element 36 is suitably related to its temperature and to the pressure exerted by the part 40, and the heating element is moved with sufficient rapidity to cause only a superficial or surface fusing of the inside of the ribbon, which does not reach the outside of the ribbon.

The apparatus further comprises a means 42 to squeeze the inside faces of the ribbon together behind the moving element 36, and preferably the means 42 is movable along with the element 36, so that it squeezes the faces of the ribbon together progressively and always immediately behind the moving element 36. This will be clear from a comparison of FIGS. 5 and 6 of the drawing. The bar 42 therefore may be called a follower bar.

Referring now to the apparatus more completely shown' ribbon 28 reversely through the buckle 25 to form an embryo loop. The bar 36 is adapted to adhesively condition the inside faces of the loop. The bar 42 acts Patented May 8, I962 as a squeeze bar which closely follows the bar 36, and for this purpose they are both mounted on a vertically slidable sealing head 44.

Considering'the arrangementin greater detail, the apparatus comprises an upright magazine 46 carrying a supply of buckles 48. A horizontal pusher blade 50 moves forward to feed the lowermost buckle along the guides or rails 24 to the sealing station, which is at the open end of the rails 24. There is also a means 52 to feed the ribbon from a suitable supply or roll 54 downward to the sealing station. The stroke of the feed means 52 determines the length of ribbon to be attached to each buckle. e

The threading bar' or tongue 52 is carried by a slide 56 which is vertically movable in a stationary bearing 58. The parts are so positioned that nozzle 30 blows the ribbon over the threading bar, and: the latter, when raised, moves through the buckle 26 at the loading station. The heater bar 36 and follower bar 42 are astride the main ribbon, with the heater bar inside the embryo loop. The bars may be moved forward or lengthwise, for which purpose the sealing head 44 is carried in a bearing 60 mounted on a cam follower lever 62 pivoted at its lower end 64. The presser means 49 is movable toward and away from the bars 36, 42, and is carried at the upper end of an angle lever 66, the lower 7 arm 68 of which engages a cam 70 for retracting the presser 40. It is urged toward the bars 36, 42 by means of a compression spring 72, and this is adjusted by screw 73 to obtain the desired squeeze pressure. 7

The apparatus further comprises a suitable means, in this case cutting blades 74, for severing the desired length of ribbon.

. Various means may be provided to produce the different'motions described above. In the present case these are partly motor driven and partly air actuated. The timing of the various motions is obtained by rotation .of a master timing shaft or cam shaft 8 1 This is driven at relatively low speed by a combined motor and reduction gear 82, 84, the slow speed output shaft of which drivescarn shaft fill through suitable means such as a pulley 86, belt 88, and'pulley 9i). A sprocket. chain, one or more V-belts, a timing belt, or a gear train, also may be employed. 7 V

I The shaft 80 carries motion producing cams 70, 92, 94 and 96. It also carries a series of timing cams for actuating electrical switches, and in the present case, there are cams 98, 100, 102, and 164 operating microswitches 103, 110, 112, and. 114 respectively. For simplicity, all of the cams are here shown circular, but it will be under stood that the cams are non-circular and are appropriately shaped to accomplish the functions here described.

The microswitch 114 controls a circuit leading to the coil of a solenoid 116, the core 117 of which is connected to cutting blade 74. Energization of solenoid 116 severs the ribbon, and the time of severance, depends on the'location of the change point (rise or fall) of cam 104.,

Microswitch 110 controls the circuit of a solenoid'air valve 118, and this controls the supply of compressed air to the deflecting nozzle 30. Thus the time at which the lower end of the ribbon is deflected is determined by cani 109, and this time is selected to follow' the downward feed of'the ribbon, and to precede the upward rise of the threading bar 32.

The ribbon feed produced at ribbon gripper 5 2 is m;

vided by a generally upright air cylinder 119, the piston rod 120 of which carries a block 1'22, which in turn carries a frictionally surfaced roller'124 on one side of the ribbon, and a pressureroller 126 on the. otherside of the ribbon; The friction roller 124 has a one-way clutch return stroke or rise, but it grips the ribbon during its downward or ribbon-feed stroke.

The length of ribbon provided for each buckle depends on the stroke of the air cylinder 119, and the present drawing is compressed verticaliy'because of space limitations on the drawing. It should be understood that V the piston rod 120 and the air cylinder 119 may be longer .98 is shaped to feed the ribbon downward immediately after the severing operation, and to cause return move-. ment of the ribbon'feed mechanism after the loop has been formed andsealed, but before the severing operation. This insures that the ribbon will not rise with the ribbon feed mechanism.

The camliJZ and microswitch 112 control a solenoid air valve 132. This could be a four-way valve controlling the operation of an air cylinder 134 which operates the feed bar orso-called knife 50 which slides the lowermost buckle in the magazine 46 forward along the guides 24. This may be given a long stroke to move the buckle from the magazine directly to the loading station, or it may be given a short stroke corresponding to the length of one buckle, in which case each buckle pushes the preceding buckles forward toward the loading station.

- The air cylinder 134 need not be and preferably is not double acting. It maybe single acting with a spring return, and in such case the solenoid air valve 132 is appropriately simplified as here shown. a

a The buckle feed mechanism acts also as the discharge I mechanism for discharging the united buckle and ribbon. Specifically, theends of guides 24 are left open so that the buckle at the loading station may be discharged from the loading station by the next buckle fed to the loading station. The ribbon is looped around the guide too, but simply moves off the end of the guide. The buckle with its attached ribbon thenfalls downward and is caught on any suitable deflecting chute (not shown) leading to a bin or box in which the rapidly formed units are collected, the discharge being gravitational.

The operation of cam 96 is evident from the drawing, it serving simply to raise or lower the slide 56 and consequently the threading bar or tongue 32. The motion is made adequate to bring the upper end of the thread- 'ing bar below the air nozzle 30 when the threading bar is down, and to bring it up as high as the overlapping parts of the loop when the threading bar is raised as shown in PIGSL4, 5, and 6 of the drawing.

The sealing head 44 carrying the heater and follower bars 36 and 42 experiences a more complex motion. It is essentially a four-way motionin which the bars move forward to straddle the ribbon, then upward to seal the loop, then rearward to separate the same from the ribbon immediately following the sealing operation, and then downward while in retracted or rearward position, preparatory to the next forward movement.

7 This four-way motion is produced by the cams 92 and 94.: The cam 92 bears against the arm 62 and causes .the forward and rearward motion of the bearing block 66 and consequently of the sealing head 44. This motion is in the direction of the guides 24 or lengthwise of the bars 36 and 42.

The cam 94 bears against a cam follower 140 at the lower end of sealing head .44. This causes the rise'or travel of the heater and follower bars 36 and 42 during the sealing'operation, and their return after the bars have been retracted from the ribbon.

The cam 70 bears against cam. follower 68 and serves to retract the presser 40, which is spring-loaded in opposition to the cam by a spring 72. The pressure is adjustable at screw 73.

The cams 70, 92, and 94 are all appropriately shaped to produce the necessary stroke or travel, and they are all suitably oriented rotationally to properly time the operation of the parts. Thus the presser 40 moves toward the ribbon only after the threading bar or tongue 32 has risen. It is retracted immediately on completion of the sealing operation.

In FIGS. 5 and 6 the follower bar 42 is disposed substantially beneath the heater bar 36 during the sealing operation. However, these bars are sidewardly displaced at other times, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. This result is accomplished in simple fashion by a pivotal mounting shown in FIG. 2, in which follower bar 42 is carried at the upper end of an arm 142 pivoted at 144 on the sealing head 44. The leftward or separating movement is limited by a stop 146, and a spring 148 biases the bar 42 toward the stop 146. However, when the presser 40 (FIG. 1) moves to the right it readily squeezes the follower bar 42 against the ribbon to a position substantially beneath the heater 36.

The means to heat the bar 36 is schematically shown in FIG. 2. Specifically, the bar 36 is made of a material having high electrical resistance, such as that sold commercially as Nichrome. Its outer end is connected to a heavy copper loop 150 which leads back to' the head 44. The ends are connected by conductors 152 and 154 to the low voltage secondary of a step-down transformer 158, the primary 169 of which is connected to an ordinary llO-volt power line. The use of low voltage and high current provides safety against electrical shock, as well as increasing the current to heat the bar 36. The copper loop 150 is highly conductive and remains relatively cool. The upper end of the sealing head 44 is either made of a suitable insulation material, or if made of metal, the ends of bar 36 and copper loop 150 are insulatedly mounted in the sealing head. The conductors 152 and 154 form part of a heavy flexible cable which is so suspended as to readily accommodate the vertical movement of the sealing head.

The heating bar 35 itself is sidewardly movable, as for example by the provision of a slot 181 (FIG. 2). It may be oscillated about the top portion 150 of the current supply loop, and the electrical connection 152 accommodates the motion of heater bar 36. A return spring 182 may be provided to normally pull the heater bar 36 toward the left as viewed in FIG. 2. The bar or tongue 32 is moved to the right along with the follower bar 42 when the presser (4b in FIG. 1) moves to the right. The loop is shown in FIG. 2 but has beenomitted in FIG. 1 and FIGS. 5-9 in order to simplify the drawing. The height of the loop is adequate so that the part 151? comes above the loop of ribbon and above the threading bar when the latter is raised, this being shown in FIG. 4 of the drawing.

FIG. 8 shows a modified form of the invention in which the air nozzle is replaced by a curved metal deflector plate 162. This serves to deflect the ribbon sidewardly above the threading bar or tongue 32. as shown at 164, as the ribbon is being fed downwardly. The other parts 24, 26, 36, 40, and 42 all correspond to the similarly numbered parts in the earlier figures of the drawing.

FIG. 9 shows how the invention attaches the ribbon to a three-bar buckle, such as that shown in FIG. 11. In this case, the guides 170 (FIG. 9) are suitably spaced to receive the three-bar buckle 172. The guides are so located that the descending, ribbon 174 passes between the center and one side bar of the buckle, and the threading bar or tongue 176 is so located that it rises between the center bar and the other side bar of the buckle. The ribbon is deflected sideward to a position over the threading bar, and is then raised so that it is reversely folded around the center bar of the buckle, as it should be. The remainder of the operation is substantially as previously described.

It will be understood that the metal deflector 162 of FIG. 8 may be used with a three-bar buckle as shown in FIG. 11. The entire mechanism shown in FIG. 1 is usable with the three-bar buckle of FIG. 9.

It is believed that the construction and operation of our improved apparatus for sealing a loop of textile ribbon around a part of a buckle, as well as the advantages thereof, may be apparent from the foregoing detailed description. The ribbon is sealed to the buckle with great rapidity and ease. The length of ribbon is automatically severed, and the product is discharged as another buckle moves into position, and so the joined parts are made in rapid succession, all in contrastv with the rather slow and largely manual procedure heretofore followed with the aid 'of a sewing machine or the like.

It will be understood that while We have shown and described our invention in several preferred forms, changes may be made in the structures shown without departing from the scope of the invention, as sought to be defined in the following claims.

,We claim:

1. Apparatus for sealing a loop of a textile ribbon made of woven plastics thread around a part of a buckle, said apparatus comprising a threading tongue to push the end of the ribbon through the buckle to form an embryo loop, a heater bar disposed inside the loop in a p sition transverse to the tongue and ribbon, a follower bar disposed outside the loop and positioned collaterally of the heater bar, a presser means to force said bars and ribbon against the threading tongue, and means to move the bars laterally in a direction longitudinally of the ribbon with sufficient rapidity as to produce a surface fusing of the adjacent faces of the ribbon to seal the loop without spoiling the woven texture of the ribbon on the outside of the loop, said tongue acting as a backing means during the movement of the bars.

2. Apparatus for sealing a loop of a textile ribbon made of woven plastics thread around a part of a buckle, said apparatus comprising a magazine of buckles, means to feed the lowermost buckle to a sealing station, means to feed the end of a roll of ribbon to the sealing station, a threading tongue to push the end of the ribbon through the buckle to form an embryo loop, a heater bar disposed inside the loop in a position transverse to the tongue and ribbon, a follower bar disposed outside the loop and positioned collaterally of the heater bar, a presser means to force said bars and ribbon against the threading tongue, and means to move the bars laterally in a direction longitudinally of the ribbon with sufficient rapidity as to produce a surface fusing of the adjacent faces of the ribbon to seal the loop without spoiling the woven texture of the ribbonion the outside of the loop, said tongue acting as a backing means during the movement of the bars.

3. Apparatus for sealing a loop of a textile ribbon made of woven plastics thread around a part of a buckle, said apparatus comprising a threading tongue to push the end of the ribbon through the buckle to form an embryo loop, a heater bar disposed inside the loop in a position transverse to the tongue and ribbon, afollower bar disposed outside the loop and positioned collaterally of the, heater bar, a presser means to force said bars and ribbon against the threading tongue, and means to move the bars laterally in a direction longitudinally of the ribbon with sufiicient rapidity as to produce a surface fusing of the adjacent faces of the ribbon to seal the loop without spoiling the woven textureof the ribbon on the outside of the loop, said tongue acting as a backing means during the movement of the bars, means for then retracting the bars and presser from the ribbon, and means for severing a desired length of the ribbon.

- 4. Apparatus for sealing a loop of a textile ribbon made of woven plastics thread around a part of a buckle, said apparatus comprising a magazine of buckles, means t, sagas 7 to feed the lowermost buckle to tofeed the end of a roll of ribbon to the sealing station, a threading tongue to push the end of the ribbon through the buckle to form an embryo loop, a heater bar disposed inside the loop in a position transverse to the tongue and ribbon, at follower'bar disposed outside the loop and po sitioned collaterally of the heater bar, a presser means to force said bars and ribbon against the threading tongue, and means to move the bars laterally in a direction longitudinally of the ribbon with sufficient rapidity as to produce a surface fusing of the adiacent faces of theribbon to seal the loop without spoiling the woven Q texture of the ribbon on the outsideof the loop, said tongue acting as a backing means during the movement of the bars, 'means-forthen retracting the bars and presser from theribbon, and means for severinga desired length of the ribbon;

5. vApparatus for sealing a loop of a textile ribbon made of woven plastics thread around a part of a buckle, said apparatuscomprising an upright magazine of buckles, a horizontal pusher blade'to feed the lowermost buckle along guides to a sealing station, means to feed the end of a roll of ribbon downwardly to the sealing station, a threading means including an upright threading tongue, and a nozzle to blow the end of the ribbon sideward over the upper end of the threading tongue which rises to push the end of the ribbon upward through the buckle to form an embryo loop, a horizontal heater bar disposed inside the loop in a position transverse to the tongue and ribbon, a horizontal follower bar disposed outside the loop below the heater bar and positioned collaterally of the heater bar, a presser means to force said bars and ribbon sidewardly against the raised threading tongue, means to move the bars laterally in a direction upward with sufiicient rapidity as to produce a surface fusing of the adjacent faces of the ribbon to seal the loop without spoiling the woven texture of the ribbon on the outside of the loop, said tongue acting as a backing means during the movement of the bars, means for then retracting the bars and presser from the ribbon, and means for severing a desired length of the ribbon.

6'. In a sealing of a loop of textile ribbon made of plastics thread, around a part of a buckle, the method a sealing station, means a movable toward one another to squeeze the sides of the loop toward one another against the heating element, means to move the heating element in a direction longitudinally of the ribbon with sufficient rapidity to cause only surface fusing of the inside faces of the ribbon, and presser means outside the sides of the loop to squeeze the said faces of the ribbon together behind the moving element in order to seal the loop.

9. Apparatus for sealing a loop of textile ribbon made of plastics thread, around a part of a buckle, saidapparatus comprising a threading means for threading and thereby looping an end of the ribbon around a part of the buckle to form a reversely folded loop, a heating element disposed between the sides of the loop, members having approximately parallel surfaces and relatively movable toward one another to squeeze the sides of the loop toward oneanother against the'heating element, means to move the heating'element in a direction longitudinally of the ribbon with suificient rapidity to cause only surface fusing of the inside faces of the ribbon, and presser means outside of the sides of the loop movable along with the heating element to squeeze the said faces of the ribbon together immediately behind the moving element, the arrangement serving to seal the loop without spoiling the texture of the ribbon on the outside of the loop.

10. Apparatus'for sealing a loop of a textile ribbon made of woven thread around a part of a buckle, said apparatus comprising a threading tongue to push the end of the ribbon reversely through the buckle to form an embryo loop, a conditioning bar disposed inside the loop in a position transverse to the tongue and ribbon, at follower'bar disposed outside the loop and positioned col- I out spoiling the woven texture of the ribbon on the outwhich includes threading and thereby looping an' end of V the ribbon around a part of the buckle to form a reversely folded loop, squeezing the sides ofthe loop toward'one another against a heating "element disposed therebetween, moving the element laterally in a direction longitudinally of. the ribbon with sufficient rapidity to cause only surface fusing of the inside faces of the rib- -bon at the loop, and at the same time squeezing the said and thereby sealing the loop'without spoilingthe tex ture of the ribbon on the outside of the loop.

. faces of the ribbon together behind the moving element side of the loop, said tongue aeing as a backing mean during the movement of the bars.

11. Apparatus for sealing a loop of a textile ribbon made of woven thread around a part of a buckle, said apparatus comprising a magazine of buckles, means to feed the lowermost buckle to a sealing station, means to feed the end of a roll of ribbon to the sealing station, a threading tongue to push the end of the ribbon reversely through the buckle to form an embryo loop, a conditioning bar disposed inside the loop in a position transverse to the tongue and ribbon, a follower bar disposed out- ."side the. loop and positioned collaterally of the condiwhich includes threading and thereby looping an end of the ribbon around apart of the buckleto form a reversely folded loop, squeezing the sides of the loop toward one another against a heating element disposed therebetween,

, moving the element laterally in a direction longitudinally of theribbon with suflicient rapidity to cause only son face fusing of the inside faces of the ribbon at the loop,

and at the same time squeezing the said faces of the'ribbon together and moving the squeeze area along with and immediately behind the moving element and thereby sealing the loop without spoiiingthe texture of the ribbon V on the outside of the loop.

8. Apparatus for sealing a loop of textile ribbon made of plastics thread, around ;a part of a buckle, said apparatus comprising a threading means for threading and ,thereby looping an end of the ribbon around a part of the buckle to form a reversely folded loop, a heating-element disposed between the sides of the loop, members having approximately parallel surfaces and relatively tioning bar, a presser means to force said bars and ribbon against the threading tongue, means connected to the conditioning bar for causing it to adhesively condition the ribbon, and means to move the bars laterally in a direction longitudinally of the ribbon with sufiicient rapidity as to produce a surface adherence of the adjacent faces of the ribbon to, seal the loop without spoiling the woven texture of the ribbon on the outside of 'the loop, said tongue acting as a backing means during the movement of the bars.

12; Apparatus for sealing a loop of a textile ribbon made of woven thread around a part of a buckle, said apparatus comprising a threading tongue to push the end of the ribbon reversely through the buckle to form an embryo loop, a conditioning bar disposed inside the loop in a position transverse to the tongue and ribbon, at follower'bar disposed outside the loop and positioned collaterally of the conditioning bar, a presser means to force said bars and ribbon against the threading tongue, means connected to the conditioning bar for causing it to adhesivelycondition the ribbon, and means to move the bars laterally in a direction longitudinally of the ribbon with sufiicient rapidity as to produce a surface adherence of the adjacent faces of the ribbon to seal the loop without spoiling the woven texture of the ribbon on the outside of the loop, said tongue acting as a backing means during the movement of the bars, means for then retracting the bars and presser from the ribbon, and means for severing a desired length of the ribbon.

13. Apparatus for sealing a loop of a textile ribbon made of woven thread around a part of a buckle, said apparatus comprising a magazine of buckles, means to feed the lowermost buckle to a sealing station, means to feed the end of a roll of ribbon to the sealing station a threading tongue to push the end of the ribbon through the buckle to form an embryo loop, a conditioning bar disposed inside the loop in a position transverse to the tongue and ribbon, a follower bar disposed outside the loop and positioned collaterally of the conditioning bar, a presser means to force said bars and ribbon against the threading tongue, means connected to the conditioning bar for causing it to adhesively condition the ribbon, and means to move the bars laterally in a direction longitudinally of the ribbon with sufficient rapidity as to produce a surface adherence of the adjacent faces of the ribbon to seal the loop without spoiling the woven texture of the ribbon on the outside of the loop, said tongue acting as a backing means during the movement of the bars, means for then retracting the bars and presser from the ribbon, and means for severing a desired length of the ribbon.

14. Apparatus for sealing a loop of a textile ribbon made of woven thread around a part ofa buckle, said apparatus comprising an upright magazine of buckles, a horizontal pusher blade to feed the lowermost buckle along guides to a sealing station, means to feed the end of a roll of ribbon downwardly to the sealing station, a threading means including an upright threading tongue and a nozzle to blow the end of the ribbon sideward over the upper end of the threading tongue which rises to push the end of the ribbon upward through the buckle to form an embryo loop, a horizontal conditioning bar disposed inside the loop in a position transverse to the tongue and ribbon, a horizontal follower bar disposed outside the loop below the conditioning bar and positioned collaterally of the conditioning bar, a presser means to force said bars and ribbon sidewardly against the raised threading tongue, means connected to the conditioning bar for causing it to adhesively condition the ribbon, means to move the bars laterally in a direction upward with sufiicient rapidity as to produce a surface adherence of the adjacent faces of the ribbon to seal the loop Without spoiling the woven texture of the ribbon on the outside of the loop, said tongue acting as a backing means during the movement of the bars, means for then retracting the bars and presser from the ribbon, and means for severing a desired length of the ribbon.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,387,566 Custers Oct. 23, 1945 2,416,437 Fertitta Feb. 25, 1947 2,848,147 Alfandre Aug. 19, 1958 

7. IN THE SEALING OF A LOOP OF TEXTILE RIBBON MADE OF PLASTICS THREAD, AROUND A PART OF A BUCKLE, THE METHOD WHICH INCLUDES THREADING AND THEREBY LOOPING AN END OF THE RIBBON AROUND A PART OF THE BUCKLE TO FORM A REVERSELY FOLDED LOOP, SQUEEZING THE SIDES OF THE LOOP TOWARD ONE ANOTHER AGAINST A HEATING ELEMENT DISPOSED THEREBETWEEN, MOVING THE ELEMENT LATERALLY IN A DIRECTION LONGITUDINALLY OF THE RIBBON WITH SUFFICIENT RAPIDITY TO CAUSE ONLY SURFACE FUSING OF THE INSIDE FACES OF THE RIBBON AT THE LOOP, AND AT THE SAME TIME SQUEEZING THE SAID FACES OF THE RIBBON TOGETHER AND MOVING THE SQUEEZE AREA ALONG WITH AND IMMEDIATELY BEHIND THE MOVING ELEMENT AND THEREBY SEALING THE LOOP WITHOUT SPOILING THE TEXTURE OF THE RIBBON ON THE OUTSIDE OF THE LOOP. 